


Nycto

by supercalvin



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Comfort, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-04
Updated: 2014-10-04
Packaged: 2018-02-19 19:56:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2400974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supercalvin/pseuds/supercalvin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a power outage in Merlin and Arthur's flat and its too dark for comfort.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nycto

**Author's Note:**

> I was having writer's block so I went to my Book of Prompts and wrote this.   
> This goes along with all my other stories in random universes that are super short :/

Arthur was never really sure what ‘bloodcurdling scream’ meant. He always thought it was just an overdramatized way of saying the person screamed really loud. No. It really made his blood feel like it cooled in his veins. It startled him so much he screamed a little too.

“Jesus Christ! MERLIN!” Arthur smacked the other man, not really sure where he was in the darkened room, but he couldn’t have gone far in the two seconds after the power went out. “Never. And I mean, _never_ , scream like that again. Fuck. I think I lost my hearing.”

Arthur felt the couch shift and he heard a thunk. Merlin had gotten off the couch where they had been sitting, watching a movie, and now he was somewhere on the floor.

“What are you doing?” Arthur said as he tried to feel for Merlin in the dark.

“Lights.” Merlin said. He sounded far away, though Arthur could feel him on the ground next to the coffee table.

“Yes, the lights went out, I can see that. Actually, I can’t see anything.” Arthur moved to feel for Merlin but he was already clamoring up and bumping into every available surface. Arthur was wondering how he managed to do it. They’d been in the same flat for a year, Merlin would surely know his way around by now, even in the dark.

Merlin was rambling, his voice getting higher and faster with each word. “Candles. Where did you put the candles? I know we had some for that thing. The thing. Your work thing. I made you a cupcake and put a candle in it. I had to buy a ton. It came in a big pack. How long do you think those will last? They won’t last long. They won’t. Why don’t we have proper candles? Normal people have candles for these situations!”

Merlin had bumped into the wall several times by this point and Arthur just followed behind him into the kitchen. When he came up behind him and put a hand on Merlin’s hip, just to get around him to get into the kitchen, Merlin screamed again.

“Fuck! _Merlin_ , _stop that_!” Arthur shouted.

Merlin sounded breathless, as he should be after a scream like that. “Sorry.”

Arthur opened a drawer and pulled out a torch, clicking it on. Merlin jumped, but he didn’t scream this time.

“Oh.” he said.

Arthur rolled his eyes. “Candles, Merlin? Really?”

“Come on! You tell me you didn’t think of candles?” Merlin was standing in the small space of light in the kitchen, wringing his hands together. Even with the lights off Arthur could see that the power outage had caught Merlin off guard, but he couldn’t figure out why.

Setting the torch on the counter so that it faced up, lighting the kitchen softly in yellow light, Arthur pulled Merlin forward. He took Merlin’s hands so that they would stop fidgeting. “What are you doing?”

“What?” Merlin asked. “Nothing! The lights went out.”

“Yes, I know that.” Arthur said as he looked at Merlin. He looked pale but Arthur wasn’t sure if he was any paler than when the lights were on. “You okay?” He ran his hand over Merlin’s cheek and Merlin leaned into it, making Arthur feel a little bit better.

“Fine.”

Merlin was lying.

“ _Merlin_.” Arthur put on his, I’ll-wait-for-the-real-answer-and-I’ll-wait-all-night face.

“It’s just…” Merlin fidgeted again so Arthur pulled him closer so that he couldn’t. “I…um.” Merlin pressed his face onto Arthur’s shoulder. “Don’t make fun of me.” he whined.

“Make fun of what? I haven’t said anything.” Arthur laughed, and wrapping his arms over Merlin’s back.

Merlin tucked himself into Arthur closely, avoiding looking at Arthur. He whispered, “I’m afraid of the dark.”

Arthur tried not to laugh, he really did. But his first instinct was to snort, and when he tried to hold his breath to keep it in, Merlin felt it because he was pressed to Arthur’s chest.

“Don’t laugh, you prat!” Merlin said, smacking Arthur’s arms and moving away. He crossed his arms and Arthur thought he looked small in the darkened room.

Arthur rubbed his arm though the slap barely hurt. “I didn’t! I swear I didn’t mean to laugh.” He wasn’t sure if Merlin was kidding around or not, but if the Candle-rant was anything to go by, he probably wasn’t. “You’re afraid of the dark?”

“Shut up.” Merlin mumbled. If it there was a proper amount of light Arthur would have seen Merlin’s ear glow red.

“Come on, Merlin. There aren’t any monsters under the bed.”

“You’re an ass, you know that?” Merlin snapped. He looked like he wanted to leave, but Merlin’s eyes darted to the darkened hall and Arthur guessed that he didn’t want to go into the dark. If Arthur looked closely, Merlin was shaking.

“Jesus, Merlin. Come on, I was joking.” He saw the way Merlin held himself, arms around his body and carefully staying in the lighted area. He looked scared, honest to God, _scared_. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. _I didn’t know_. I won’t laugh, I promise.”

“Ass.” was all that Merlin managed to say, no acid in his tone.

Arthur tried to think back to other times it had been dark. Every night the lights were off, weren’t they? No, Merlin left the small light in the bathroom on every night. Arthur just thought that was because Merlin would trip over himself in the middle of the night without the light. When they went camping that one time it had been pitch black at night, wasn’t Merlin fine then? No, he curled up in Arthur’s sleeping bag and clung onto him the entire night. Arthur just thought he was cold, since he had been shivering. Merlin never seemed to let himself be in a situation where it was completely dark. When they went to the carnival Merlin refused to go in the haunted house, even though he seemed perfectly fine with all the scary things walking around and scaring people.

“You’re really afraid of the dark, aren’t you?” Arthur asked. He tried not to sound like he was making fun; he was genuinely surprised and concerned.

Merlin huffed. “You know what-” He tried to grab the torch from behind Arthur, but Arthur stopped him. He took the torch and held it between them, facing down and casting light between them.

“Merlin! Hold on! Come on we’ve been together for _years_ , how did I never know this?”

Arthur answered his own question: because Merlin covered it up so well, how was Arthur to even know something was wrong?

“’Cause it’s not a big deal.” Merlin said, though Arthur was beginning to think it was. “I don’t like the dark. It’s an irrational fear. I’m fine.”

“Merlin.” Arthur said warningly.

“I’m usually more prepared for dark places! I have to prepare myself. The lights went out and I panicked. Okay? I’m fine now.”

“No.” Arthur said, taking Merlin’s hand in his own. “You’re shaking.”

“Shut up.” He sounded more panicked than angry.

“Come on.” Arthur gave Merlin the torch, hoping the light source would make him feel better, and guided Merlin to their bedroom. He found both their phones and put on the flashlight, even if the batteries would drain quickly. Merlin seemed more relaxed, but he wouldn’t let go of Arthur’s hand.

“You think I’m an idiot.” Merlin muttered.

All this time Merlin had thought Arthur would judge him for something like this. _Merlin_ , who didn’t care if Arthur saw when he tripped, danced like a dork at weddings, and had several action figures. “No.” Arthur whispered. “Not really.”

He pulled Merlin down onto the bed, the light in the room making it glow in the dark, and pulled Merlin so that he curled up next to Arthur. “Just go to sleep. I bet the lights will come back on soon.”

The lights turned on an hour later, but Merlin had stopped shaking a long time ago and was fast asleep. Arthur kept the lights on and fell asleep next to him.

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Write about someone who is afraid of the dark.
> 
> Fear of the dark has many names but the most commonly used one is Nyctophobia. A phobia is an irrational fear, so even though logically he/she knows he/she is safe, he/she panics and becomes afraid.  
> Personally, I'm not afraid of the dark, but what I call "half-light" (though its not to the level of a "phobia"). If its mostly dark but there's a little bit of light, enough to see some things but not all things, my heart rate picks up and I start to panic. I had a nightmare once where only one light bulb (out of two) burnt out in my lamp. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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